Columbus Blue Jackets Could Address Big Need With Jordan Kyrou Trade – Hockey Writers – Columbus Blue Jackets

The NHL offseason has officially begun, and one of the most important of those offseasons belongs to the Columbus Blue Jackets. They have too many players bankrolled in this club to compete, and if they can’t do so, next summer could sting even more with players trying to force their way out.

There are guys who aren’t good on the market but can be acquired by teams looking to add needed cash or rebuild the prospect pool. One of these groups is St. Louis Blues, and one of their franchise center, Jordan Kyrou, wants to be removed.

There were rumors that a trade deadline deal was possible this past offseason, as he enters the fourth year of an eight-year extension he signed with the Blues through September 2022. He likely wants a trade to a position where he can compete, and the Blues can get his $8 million-a-year contract off the books.

Why is Kyrou Worth a Shot?

Kyrou has all the makings of a star in the NHL. He has outstanding speed, skillful and quick hands, and a dangerous shot, which coincided with the lack of the Blue Jackets this season. He also plays a two-way game that will matchup well on a line that struggles to protect the ice, but creates scoring opportunities otherwise.

He will add two plays to the team with Charlie Coyle, who has been very important this season, and has done a lot in Columbus and on the sides around the league, even receiving some votes for the Selke Trophy. Coyle was so good with the Blue Jackets that he was given a six-year extension to finish his career in Columbus.

Kyrou could play a front six role with the green jackets and it would be fun to play with someone like Kent Johnson and Sean Monahan, who has the ability to expand his offense even more.

This would give the Blue Jackets a two-point forward to the end of the roster that they haven’t had in a long time. With better defensive players, it can help eliminate a lot of traffic in the middle of the ice and allow the goaltenders to face fewer shots from more dangerous opportunities.

As you look at the offensive reasons why the addition of Kyrou helps, he will bring speed to an offense that needs to be quick. He comes with a goal-scoring pedigree that the Blue Jackets also don’t have enough of, having registered three 30-goal streaks before this season; The Blue Jackets didn’t have a single player reach 30 this season either.

After signing a long-term extension, the Blues have been eyeing Kyrou as one of the offensive ends, but as management looks to rebuild, he’ll want to play for a contender. Do the Blue Jackets make sense in that regard?

Why Columbus in Kyrou?

Kyrou has been linked with different teams including the Blue Jackets. The reasons may be general manager Don Waddell’s desire to compete, the league-wide belief that Kyrou wants out, and the Blues’ desire to cash in on his replacement. The Blue Jackets are one of the teams that need to push for the 15th pick on this year’s list.

Historically, the Blue Jackets have not been a good team at drawing top talent; however, if they can trade a draft pick for a player with a ton of upside, that would be a great situation for them. However, why does Kyrou want to come to Columbus?

RW- Jordan Kyrou (St. Louis Blues) has been linked to Columbus

— Brian Wallace (@thedistrictbw) June 10, 2026

Considering Kyrou has already won a Stanley Cup with the Blues, he knows what kind of elite talent he needs to have around him to get there. He would be partnered with the reigning Norris Trophy winner in Zach Werenski, and he would have an elite shooter in Kirill Marchenko, and a rising star center in Adam Fantilli as well. Not to mention Team Canada’s future Olympic goalkeeper, Jet Greaves, in the lead.

There are plenty of pieces on the Blue Jackets’ roster to make a legitimate run at the Stanley Cup. The forwards, in particular, were a big reason why they went on the run they did after Rick Bowness was hired.

If they can connect the last few pieces, they could be a serious threat in the same division as the team that just won the Stanley Cup, the Carolina Hurricanes. If Waddell can take a page from his former team’s book and go get a guy who will help his team win now, he should be fine doing it.

What Will Trade Take?

The trade would require the Blue Jackets to part with the 14th overall pick in the 2026 Draft, but as of then, what the Blues would specifically want hasn’t been made official. The Blues will be asking for opportunities in entry-level deals, or at least a manageable contract to add to the rebuilding roster.

Who could be on the Blue Jackets? The first player who is ready to make the jump to the NHL, but has yet to get a proper opportunity with the Blue Jackets, is Luca Del Belluz. Del Bel Belluz is ready to break out, he’s been great in the American Hockey League (AHL), but he never got a real shot with Columbus, and he’s name controlled by the team as a restricted free agent (RFA).

Aaron Portzline on @MorningJuice971 on #CBJ when they trade up at the deadline: “I’ve seen second or third round picks go away… one player parked in the minors that other teams have shown interest in is Luca Del Belluz.”

— CBJ Center (@CBJcenter) March 3, 2026

Although Del Belluz was not eliminated in the time limit, that is the time may come in the summer if the player and the selector are good enough to negotiate with the Blues. If they come back asking for more, how much is Waddell willing to give up on a player of Kyrou’s caliber?

It seems Waddell knows his back is against the wall, and his stars want to compete, but how can he pull off a trade like this for a player with a full no-movement clause? Kyrou will control the negotiations from start to finish, and the Blue Jackets will have to find a way to convince him that a team with a six-year playoff drought is ready to compete now.

Kyrou has complete control, but would he be interested in coming to Columbus? He would certainly fix many of the problems that plagued them from the ground up, and it would give him a fresh start in a new city. Now it’s time for Waddell to make his offseason move.